Oral history interview with Terry Allen, 1998 April 22

Format: Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 54 minutes.

Collection Summary: An interview of Terry Allen conducted by Paul Karlstrom, 1998 April 22, in Allen's home/studio, Sante Fe, New Mexico, for the Archives of American Art.

Allen discusses his experiences at Chouinard Art Institute, Los Angeles, as opening up possibilities first glimpsed in high school in Lubbock, Texas; cultural influences on him, such as rock 'n roll, Elvis, Chuck Berry, David Byrne's "Buck Naked," and the importance of cars; the influence of John Cage on his "Juarez" and the role of his wife, Jo Harvey Allen's experiences to "Juarez" and "Ring;" and his views on the meaning of art and his work.

Biographical/Historical Note: Terry Allen (1943- ) is a conceptual artist and musician from Santa Fe, New Mexico and Lubbock, Texas.

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators. Funding for the transcription of this interview provided by Pasadena Art Alliance.

Funding for transcription provided by Pasadena Art Alliance.
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.